Elderwerks Senior Resource Directory 2025/2026

HOME SAFETY CHECKLIST

FACT: MOST FALLS OCCUR AT HOME AND MOST FRACTURES RESULT FROM A FALL AT HOME.

Falls can lead to a tragic loss of older peoples’ independence and mobility. Simple modifications can cut your risk of falling by one half. Where necessary, install safety devices. Each year, more than 734,000 people over 65 are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with stairs, bathtubs, furniture, carpeting and other products seniors live with and use every day. Thousands of these injuries are related to falls: 3,000 seniors each year fall while standing on chairs. 6,800 seniors trip on rugs or carpet runners. Many of these accidents could be prevented. Changes in furniture arrangement, housekeeping and lighting will help reduce your risk of falling at home.

Bathroom Install grab bars on the bathroom walls near the toilet and along the bathtub or shower.

• Place carpeting over concrete, ceramic, and marble floors to lessen the severity of injury if you fall.

• Repair loose wooden floorboards immediately.

• Place a slip-resistant rug adjacent to the bathtub for safe exit and entry.

Bedroom

• Mount a liquid soap dispenser on the bathtub/shower wall.

• Clear clutter from the floor.

HELPFUL INFORMATION

• Place a lamp and flashlight near your bed.

• Consider bathtub modifications.

• Place slip-resistant adhesive textured strips on the bathtub/shower floor.

• Install night-lights along the route between the bedroom and the bathroom.

• Use a sturdy, plastic seat in the bathtub if you are unsteady or if you cannot lower yourself to the floor of the tub.

• Sleep on a bed that is easy to get into and out of.

• Keep a telephone near your bed.

• Replace glass shower enclosures with non-shattering material

Use this checklist as a guide.

Kitchen

• Stabilize yourself on the toilet by using either a raised seat or a special toilet seat with armrests.

Stairs & Steps Make sure light switches are at both the top and bottom of the stairs.

• Remove throw rugs.

• Immediately clean up any liquid, grease or food spilled on the floor.

Living Areas Arrange furniture to create clear pathways between rooms.

• Provide enough light to see each step and the top and bottom landings.

• Store food, dishes and cooking equipment at easy-to-reach level.

• Keep flashlights nearby in case of a power outage.

• Don’t stand on chairs or boxes to reach upper cabinets. Use only a step stool with an attached handrail so you are supported.

• Remove low coffee tables, magazine racks, footrests and plants from pathways in rooms. • Install easy-access light switches at entrances to rooms so you won’t have to walk into a darkened room in order to turn on the light. Glow-in-the-dark switches may be helpful. • Secure loose area rugs with double faced tape or slip-resistant backing. Recheck these rugs periodically. • Keep electric, appliance and telephone cords out of your pathways, but don’t put cords under a rug.

• Install handrails on both sides of the stairway and be sure to use them.

• Repair loose flooring.

• Do not leave objects on the stairs.

• Use non-skid floor wax.

• Consider installing motion detector lights which turn on automatically and light your stairway.

For a free “Don’t Let a Fall Be Your Last Trip” brochure, call the Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons public service telephone number 800-824-2663, or send a self-addressed business size envelope to: Don’t Let a Fall Be Your Last Trip American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons P.O. Box 1998, Des Plaines, IL 60017

• Put non-slip treads on each bare wood step.

• Do not use patterned, dark or deep pile carpeting. Solid colors show the edges of steps more clearly.

• Eliminate wobbly chairs, ladders and tables.

• Do not place loose area rugs at the bottom or top of stairs.

• Do not sit in a chair or on a sofa that is so low it is difficult to stand up.

• Repair loose stairway carpeting or boards immediately.

303

(855) 462 0100

Elderwerks.org